Davide Frattesi: "Lazio were a choice of the heart. At Inter, second place or a draw are not contemplated"

"Ever since my grandmother passed away, I have always wanted to return to what had been home for so many years. Lazio feel very much like 'my' club, and even the result affects my mood. Playing for Lazio is like defending something that belongs to the family: I used to go to the stadium with my dad and we would dream about the chance of making it into the first team at the Stadio Olimpico."

"I've already worked with him in the national team and I always felt he had a lot of faith in me. Also because last year I barely played at Inter and he, despite that, kept calling me up to the national team, because he saw something in me. I thought he could help me bring out something more. I feel a bond with Lazio, but also a sense of gratitude towards the manager who trusted me."

"Training with great champions helps you raise your level. In terms of mentality, they are one of the teams most used to winning. At Inter, second place or a draw are not considered acceptable. There is a strong mentality that runs from nutrition to treatment before and after training."

"I had spoken to manager Mancini before the transfer to Lazio and his advice was to go and play, because if you get to the national team with 90 minutes in your legs and you are fit, that is one thing; getting there when you have played 10 minutes per game is another. I try to help the team as much as possible and if these performances then allow me to return to the national team, all the better."

"I have to play with someone next to me because I have to take the mickey out of them. I often play with my brother-in-law (Geolier, ed.) and with the national team. This mode is a way of going back to being children, to when you used to play on the little pitch near home. I always used to go with my dad. I still remember he would not let me use my right foot and I always got angry, saying: ‘I don’t know how to use it, I don’t know how to use it, it’s pointless’. But in the end, little by little, I learnt to use my left as well."